King named ‘Law Enforcement Officer of the Year’

Shepherdstown Police Chief Michael King, left, is pictured with Mayor Jim Auxer at the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 3522 awards ceremony last week, during which King was named Law Enforcement Officer of the Year. Toni Milbourne
CHARLES TOWN — In a brief ceremony on Friday, members of Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 3522 and the VFW Auxiliary presented awards to various members of the community including first responders, teachers and students.
Recognized by the Post were selections of Teacher of the Year at two grade school levels, Law Enforcement Officer of the Year, Firefighter and EMT of the Year and Scout of the Year. Each recipient had been nominated for the award.
Chief Michael King with Shepherdstown Police Department was recognized as Law Enforcement Officer of the Year, while Donald “Hook” Longerbeam was named Firefighter of the Year. Longerbeam is a member of Friendship Fire Company in Harpers Ferry. EMT of the Year, Carleigh Lindamood, was also selected from the ranks of those serving at Friendship Fire Company. Scout of the Year was Zachary Ouiment, a member of Troop 42 in Charles Town. Teachers who received honors were Charles Town Middle School teacher Cheryl Reilly and Wright Denny Intermediate School’s Clare Hebb.
Awards were presented to local students who participated in the annual Patriot’s Pen and Voice of Democracy competitions. The contests, offered by the VFW in the fall of the school year, provide an opportunity for students to compete at a local level with a chance for advancement to the state level.
Students in grades six through eight submit essays to the Patriot’s Pen competition on a specific patriotic theme, while the Voice of Democracy audio-essay program provides high school students with the opportunity to express themselves in regard to a democratic- and patriotic-themed recorded essay.
The VFW recognized four students in the honorable mention category including Kaelyn Heath, Jessica Maquez, Christine Larsen and Ava Brenneke, all from Charles Town Middle School. Third place honors went to Landan Dingus while Landan Stull was selected as the second-place finisher. Receiving the first-place award was Kylie Benner. Each of these recipients were also students at Charles Town Middle School.
High school students earning the second and first place spots for the Voice of Democracy competition were Elizabeth Condon, at student at Washington High School, and Sofia Cummings, a student at Mother of Divine Grace.
Post 3522 Commander Joe Craeger presented each recipient with a ribbon, a certificate and a monetary award. Craeger expressed his hope that more students will participate in the contest in future years.
District level recognition was given to Cummings for her Voice of Democracy entry as well as to Hebb, King, Longerbeam and Lindamood. State level recognition went to Hebb and Lindamood, as well.